#split second sound

Thanks to Mashable.com, here’s a list of the top 10 first dance wedding songs based on common mentions from over 30,000 Spotify wedding playlists. While obviously these are the more common choices, we still think it's a pretty great comprehensive list! Check this list out here.

An excellent way to get the absolute best dance songs for your reception is to go directly to the source... the men and women behind that scenes of so many weddings: the DJs (of course!) This CBS link suggests the 20 most requested dance songs according to a nationwide survey of wedding DJs. Find it here!

Struggling with so many different song choice decisions? See this Buzzfeed link for 144 songs that are separated into different categories including processional, grand entrance, father-daughter dances and more! Find them all here...

Recently, one of Split Second Sound’s DJs took the covers of Carolina Bride (yes, both of them)! DJ LeVar ‘Mista LG’ Gladden wasn’t featured by name but two of his brides were. We love seeing our brides throughout Carolina Bride magazine in each release but this is the first time where the same DJ had two different brides making appearances on both the front and back covers of the same issue!

LeVar’s April 26th bride, Veronica Acut (now Getz) was featured on the front cover wearing a stunning Vera Wang gown. Inside the magazine, we can read all about Veronica and her groom, Chip’s beautiful reception which took place at Mint Museum Uptown. Other vendors included some of our favorites: Ashley at Graceful Host, Lindsay Reagan Thorne at Be Pretty and Jeremy Igo!

On the back cover of the magazine, Indigo photography featured LeVar’s upcoming September 20th bride and groom, Jenna Bertram and Adam Nygaard in an up close and personal engagement shoot. Jenna & Adam’s reception will be hosted at a beautiful venue (and another of Split’s favorites), Foundations for the Carolinas.

While professional DJ's are familiar with the flow of a wedding, they aren’t mind readers! If there is a certain expectation or tone you want to set for your reception, you should definitely go over this with the DJ so you can set realistic expectations together. Below are a few other things you should absolutely cover with your DJ prior to your reception:

1.)    What you don’t want – if the electric slide makes you cringe or there is a popular song you don’t want to be a part of your night, make sure you inform the DJ. This way, even if he/she were to get requests for those songs, they know to skip them.

2.)    Formalities – you can ask your DJ to give you ideas for the cake cutting or the garter toss (that’s what they are for!), but make sure you still cover these details with them before-hand. Asking them to pick the song and not reviewing it before the actual event could be a recipe for disaster.

3.)    Timeline – a professional DJ with extensive experience will be able to guide you through a suggested timeline or they will be able to work with one you have created. Either way, because the DJ is the person hosting your event, make a point to cover every detail of the timeline.

While he may be a more recent addition to the Split Second Sound team, DJ Mike Nania is making a major impression with his 25+ years in DJ and event experience. DJ Mike City, as the team calls him, is quickly gaining rave reviews from vendors and clients alike.

Starting at the age of 14 as a DJ for parties, Mike eventually was able to start his own company, DJ/MCing for weddings, Proms and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs in 1990.

Originally from the New York/New Jersey metro area, Mike recently relocated to North Carolina with his wife and 3 boys: Michael, 13, Nicholas, 9 and Andrew, 7. 

We had a quick Q&A with Mike to learn a little bit more about the family-man and DJ!

What’s your favorite part of an event?

I would have to say seeing people dance and having a good time. Knowing that I can play a part in that is a good feeling.                            

Do you think your boys will get into a similar business?

Possibly… my middle son, Nicholas, has the most interest. He used to love going with me to public events like car shows all the time so it’s cool to see him enjoy being around what I do.

What is one thing people are usually surprised to learn about you?

It is a common theme to have a DJ at a wedding but what about all of the other gatherings that go on throughout the year? Birthday parties, proms, corporate events, bar/bat mitvahs, pool parties – the list could go on and on. If you think an iPod will do, we beg to disagree. We say, if you want people to dance and have a good time, don’t trust a machine, hire a DJ! Here are three reasons why:

1)      Range of music – chances are, if you are gathering a large amount of people for one event, then there will be a wide range of personalities in the crowd. DJ’s are equipped with thousands upon thousands of music options to please everyone and if they don’t have it, they can get it!

2)      Experience – those who are familiar with the flow of an event know that there is a lot more to an evening than just playing music and letting the people dance. There are elements to an event than only those who are experienced will know how to handle. For example, an experienced DJ will read the body language of the crowd to identify which songs and styles are working and which ones to mix out of and go to something else!

3)      Professional – meaning professional equipment, professional mindset and professional interaction with your guests! Events like the community pool party can turn into a disaster even if a local DJ does double-check his music for radio edits. By hiring a professional DJ, you are insuring that the music element of the event will be quality.

Talk about a meeting spot! The breathtaking views from the Charlotte Knights BB&T BallPark provide an amazing location for your next corporate or private event. 

Boasting record attendance this season for the Knights (the highest in the league too), there’s no question that the park is a new hub for social gatherings and sports fanatics alike.  The location offers several different areas to host a variety of events. Including the full ballpark (which can hold up to 10,000), the venue provides some seriously beautiful spots for a meeting, party, conference or other events.

  Don’t think you need to fill the entire stadium though?  Smaller areas like the Pepsi Party Terrace or one of the private Luxury Suites allow for groups between 25 and 30 people. One of our favorite spots, the Budweiser Home Plate Club, is perfect for a cocktail reception. With access to the full bar and optional catering, this enclosed area is top of the line. Throw a DJ in the mix and this would make an awesome party spot as well!

Spotlight: Old South Studios

We recently interviewed Julie Staley, co-owner and lead photographer at Old South Studios. She gives us some incredible advice and insight when it comes to choosing the right photographer, and tells us a little about herself! Check it out... 

Tell us a little about you...

"I was raised in a home where memories were valued.  My own Mom developed thousands of rolls of film documenting my childhood, so photography was important to me from a young age.  Once my own children were born, my husband bought me my first digital camera and I soon began capturing images for friends and family.  I shot my first wedding in 2009 and was hooked.  I continued to shoot family photography but my interest in wedding photography began to outpace everything else.  In 2010, I became a full-time photographer and my husband also left Corporate America in late 2011 to become the company's business manager.  We added more photographers in 2012 and 2013 and the company has continued to thrive.  We moved into a commercial studio space in Ballantyne and I absolutely love coming to work each day. In the past 5 years, I've captured 105 weddings and loved every click of the shutter!"

How would you describe the style and personality behind your brand?

"We are a family-company in every way... family-owned and family-centered. We invest in truly getting to know our clients so that once we capture their wedding, we have earned their loyalty for life.  Our brides come back to us for newborn photography, (we have a dedicated newborn photographer on staff and newborn studio), and then family portraits as they add on to their family tree.  I treat my brides like family- getting to know all the details of their day, the names of their family and bridal party and how they first knew that their groom was "the one".  When you know their love story inside and out, their wedding images will never look like anyone else's wedding we capture.  We often say, "when you invest in the story, you stop shooting from a checklist and begin to shoot from your heart".  An Old South bride is sentimental, kind and values memories above all other items on her wedding planning list.  I've had brides budget 65% of their entire budget to hiring us.  The photos are paramount to these ladies. They will scale down any and all other categories to have beautiful, lasting images from this special day."

What are the most important things when it comes to finding a good photographer?  

"Even amateurs can manage a few great shots on a sunny day so viewing a photographer's website isn't enough.  You need to ask a prospective photographer to showcase three very specific things:

A complete wedding from start to finish; not just the best shots on the blog post...

Look closely at their reception work which requires flash/off-camera lighting when the sun has gone down... 

Ask to see a rainy wedding.  That way, if Mother Nature unleashes on your wedding day, you have the comfort of knowing you are in good hands with a trusted professional.  Not every girl gets a 75 degree, sunny wedding day so be sure to hire an all-season photographer too.

Also, be sure to ask your other vendors for photographer recommendations.  A good reputation can't be bought.  It's the mark of a person with longevity in the industry and a person that delivers on his/her promises.  It's just as important as pretty pictures.  You will work with your photographer for your entire engagement and even beyond (ex: engagement session, bridal session, 8-10 hours on a wedding day and a month or so post-wedding for final images, albums and products).  This person must have excellent business and communication skills and not just fancy camera/lighting equipment.  You need to truly connect with that person. You are asking them to be your eyes on one of the most important days of your life.  Choose wisely."

What are some trends you are noticing for the 2014 year?  

"We are seeing our Southern brides move away from mason jars and burlap and towards more classic, elegant wedding styling.  We are always fans of a more timeless look.  I think Pinterest can be both a blessing and curse.  Use it for inspiration and a few ideas but don't try to incorporate every pretty trend and idea ever posted into your wedding.  Be true to your own style and less concerned about was is trending." 

  What do you love most about your job?

"Relationships.  I got a birth announcement today from a couple I photographed 3 years ago (a mile high on a mountain top no less).  They moved to Pennsylvania but I still get a Christmas card every year and today they shared their excitement with me again.  It's a big deal when someone trusts us with their memories and that relationship doesn't end after "I do".   On another note, I love being the calm in their storm.  Because it is a bride's one wedding and I bring the experience of a hundred others with me, I love being beside her when the wedding chaos seems overwhelming.  At the end of the day, she will still marry the man of her dreams and I love reminding her that the rest is just details. It's my job to "worry"on her wedding day so that she can be a bride who enjoys and remembers the hours that go by too quickly."

  Your favorite quote/words of wisdom to live by? 

"What the next generation will value most is not what we owned, but the evidence of who we were and the tales of how we lived.  In the end, it's the family stories that are worth the storange." --Ellen Goodman